Why am I Still in Pain After Surgery?

Dr. Shim explains why you may continue to experience pain after spinal surgery.

Citations:

Lebude, B., Yadla, S., Albert, T., Anderson, D. G., Harrop, J. S., Hilibrand, A., ... & Ratliff, J. K. (2010). Defining “complications” in spine surgery: neurosurgery and orthopedic spine surgeons' survey. Clinical Spine Surgery, 23(8), 493-500. doi: 10.1097/BSD.0b013e3181c11f89.

Zeidman, S. M., Ducker, T. B., & Raycroft, J. (1997). Trends and complications in cervical spine surgery: 1989-1993. Journal of spinal disorders, 10(6), 523-526. PMID: 9438819.

[jerryhoward]

I had to have two surgeries on L-4 and L-5. Then again on L5-S1. It was the second surgery that made me pain free. I was in chronic pain for over 5 years. Foot burned so bad for 5 years I would cry myself to sleep. 18 days after surgery on L-5 and S-1 I am pain free. Thank you Jesus.

[irishman]

I've had several spinal surgeries and now have an implanted spinal cord stimulator. It helps with my low back pain but I've had 3 cervical fusions, and one other kind of cervical operation. I now have two other cervical levels with bulging discs. I'm on several daily pain meds, but this chronic pain is not for weak.

[junbug]

My sister had a lumbar laminectomy and fusion almost 2 weeks ago. She on steroids for 10 days because of the pain. She’s confident she will be much better after the swelling around the nerves goes away. I’m not so sure. I was diagnosed with the same spine degeneration in 2016. I was scheduled for surgery but my gut, intuition, God? was screaming at me to not do it and I canceled. Her surgeon has a 5 ⭐️ rating so I’m hopeful she’ll be ok. I tried to subtly tell her not to go ahead but she decided to anyway. I’m praying those of you who are suffering will get relief.

[hutchrd]

3 years later& its hard to live anymore after a double fusion.i wish i would have died during surgery if i would have known about the everlasting pain & depression

[darrintomasick]

I'm L2-S1 and in constant pain. I like the way he says most surgeries are successful. It's actually 25-30%

[davidlindgren]

Thanks for this awesome video! If you read through any of the spine surgery forums on the computer, you'll see two of the most asked questions after surgery are "why am I still hurting" and "when will it stop or improve?" Thank you again, Dr. Shim for explaining this very important topic of pain and helping people to understand when it may improve!! I had two level ACDF surgery and in the weeks after I was a mess! Very depressed, thought my surgeon had somehow made a mistake, etc. I was totally unprepared for the degree of pain and it's longevity, but time indeed did heal me. After 18 months I was off all pain killers and after three years my pain was totally gone.

[billiemeadows]

I had a spinal fusion and decompression on Oct 3rd and 5th it was a 2 part surgery due to my high hip bones I had anterior and posterior surgery on L3 L4 and L5. I've probably called the doctors office every week since the surgery. I had to have steroid injections 2 days before Thanksgiving. I went back to doctor yesterday. Thank God I have a great team of doctors and nurses who listen and care. My meds have changed a lot. My advice is take your meds and call your doctor or nurses.

[alnonickname]

be warned, they will only tell you what they want you to know. Looking back, how gullible I was. I had a lumbar rhizotomy - just a needle into spinal nerve. 10 days later I was fighting for life in ICU - from a spinal abscess - which came from where? Non-sterile instruments? Back to surgery. Nearly died. Its 2 years later, I still have chronic lumbar pain. From an active, energetic, fit man, to a limping shell. If I had only known, if I had only done more research. There used to be a maxim, by which the medical profession lived: 'first do no harm'..

[nycwastemanagment]

I have can't sleep, I get an 1hr and a half at most then I'm up and have to move around. I have to sleep propped upwards as I cannot lay flat, my neck is fuked, it's 2 and a half years since my surgery I've gotten off pain meds and now back on the oxy and I hate myself for having to be on oxy because of all the shit we hear regarding it. I just want to be free of pain and feel normal again just to feel the way I did before I fell, this sucks I hate the way I live daily my life has changed and it's not only effected me but my lady my family. My sex life is horrible and I also have major lower back issues to add . I'm just a fuking mess. Please who ever reads this PLEASE BECARFUL DONT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LIFE, ONE DAY YOU CAN BE THE WAY YOU ARE NOW AND THE NEXT DAY YOUR LIFE DRAMATICALLY CHANGES EFFECTING YOU ND ALL WHO LOVE YOU. GOD BLESS ALL

[randybailin]

You never seem to hear this in any of these videos, but the most important element of a spinal surgery (or any surgery for that matter) is the quality of the surgeon. This is from personal experience. I've had 3 diskectomies and an L5/S1 fusion. The first diskectomy, at L4-L5, was about 11 years and there's never been a problem since and the recovery was relatively painless. Diskectomies 2 and 3 were at L5/S1 and performed consecutively by the same surgeon after the first surgery was a failure as fragments of bone were left pressing against the nerve, leaving me in extreme pain. The follow-up removed the fragments but I was left with nerve flare-up for many months after the 2 procedures. Fast forward about 18 months and...

I just had an L5/S1 fusion as the disk re-herniated and the neurosurgeon (a different guy) wouldn't even consider a diskectomy on the 3rd try. The surgery seems to have been very successful as I was left with no nerve pain and am only dealing with recovery from the surgery and all prior symptoms (sciatica, the pain of the herniation, stenosis bone-on-bone type pain) are all gone.

Not all surgeons are the same. Be very, very careful about the surgeon that you select. You'll either be very happy or miserable depending on the choice. You'd think that every surgeon can perform the procedure about the same, but my experience tells me otherwise. We tend to put surgeons on a pedestal. Be careful. It's your body after all.

[lalawmpuiafanai]

What a relief for my suspicious thoughts, now i can patiently wait and give time for my surgery to get heal...

[dw]

Having a discectomy on Friday with an 8mm L5S1 - your videos have been very helpful. Really appreciate the time you have put into them.

[ScottPrincePhotography]

first off, my heart goes to all of you still suffering after surgery. I had a minimally invasive T-lift L2-L3 with fusion and decompression and cyst removal on 6/28/22. The 4th or 5th night I was in so much pain I wanted to OD on the opioids. I was crying like a baby and screaming from the shooting pain in my back. I spent all night going to the bathroom peeing I guess from all of the fluids that were pumped into me. Imagine having to get in and out of bed 20 times while in excruciating pain. That went away a day or two later. Overall most of my pain is gone but still sore and cautious. 3 weeks today I have a new pain. When I go to stand up from sitting position I am getting a sharp pain in lower back. I'm praying this too goes away. I realize it's still very early in the healing process but it makes you wonder if everything is okay. My surgeon recommended PT after 2 weeks but I just watched a video saying PT should be started 6 months after the fusion process is complete so I'm confused.

[carmencarmenatti]

3 years after surgery I'm still in pain.(C5 and C6)now I have my L1 S5 herniated too. The pain will never go away.

[StAmander]

I had a spinal fusion with laminectony and discectomy at L4-L5 after having Cauda equina in Dec 2022. Even in the ICU I felt like it was a miracle because as soon as I could rub the bottom of my feet, I was constantly doing that, not just because I’m glad I can completely move again but because I could feel in my feet again. Over time the pain, nerve pain anesthesia and issues with mobility came back. Now I am struggling to feel in my feet, I cannot handle PT, I’m in pain that pretty much limits me to the bed and chair. I keep seeing the neurosurgeon and my pain management and all they want to do is either epidurals or implants or surgeries. Is there anything else? I’m tired of being at the hospital so much, whether as a frequent flyer in the ER due to pain, or surgery after surgery. Just tempted to fly to Belgium or Holland and see if I can get it over with. I’m tired of being a burden.

[dangitdan]

7 months out from a discectomy and 2 laminectomy surgery, can't stand or walk for longer than 30 min and constant dull pain in lower back, butt, legs and hips. Dr keeps saying "give it time" and I'm doing physio/rehab 5 days a week plus a prescription for pregabalin but all it does is gives me dry mouth. Surgeon has been no help since he says "images look good" and "there's nothing surgical I can do" after my latest MRI. Next step may be a nerve block injection but I'm not really into letting anyone near my insides after this experience.
Staying positive is good medicine, easier said than done some days but, you have to believe what you're doing is helping. Backs are tricky, nerves more so and sometimes it doesn't go your way so do lots of research and press your doctor for worst case scenario and any other complications you may encounter. If your surgeon/dr is enthusiastic and over confident of the success rate, BEWARE!
Strength to all people living with pain, it can be maddening but, even if it's minute by minute, you have to push through... It will get better ✊😜

[uzislife]

My surgery was 50 days ago and i swear if this pain doesnt get better i will either become a drug addict to numb it or ifk what ill do.. in the morning and at night i can barley move! I cant even walk without holding onto the wall

[SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

These lessons are wonderful. Thanks so much for raising the bar for educational videos!!

[maxrockatanksyOG]

2015 L5-S1 TLIF.
Have had chronic pain ever since, despite medication, stretches etc

[Chris-epsm]

Where was information like this, 2 plus years ago. I wish I never had this awful surgery. I didn't have a hernia then, with excruciating abdominal pain, that wakes you up in the middle of night sometimes. I had left lateral Interbody fusion L2 to L5 BIG MISTAKE. PAIN every day.